Dave’s Music Corner – Make Every Second Count

Thank you for submitting wonderful music to my company, it has been a pleasure to meet and talk to all of you.

Here begins my first installment of “Dave’s Music Corner”

We’ll start simple and move on to more and more advanced concepts in future blogs..

In this column, blog etc, I will attempt to give you all some advise from a “Producer and A&R perspective” so that your presentations and music can have the greatest chance of succeeding.

This first column could be called: “Make Every Second Count”

You should be aware of the fact that, as a producer or A&R person, or even an agent booking a gig, time is very short and valuable. Though you put weeks and months into your music, though you personally know every note and know that your guitar solo in song three or vocal high note in song two, are INCREDIBLE, you may have but few seconds to impress an A&R person, Producer or agent.

It seems that many artists are overly optimistic that a Producer or A&R person will take the time to fish out the little gems in your EPK and or submissions. I wish this were true. But in reality, you may only have seconds to impress.

MAKE EVERY SECOND COUNT!!

Having received what must be thousands of submissions from artists by now, I have noticed a few consistent errors in presentation that I’d like to address to you all.

The main AVOIDABLE mistakes I see are incorrect song ordering on an EPK and intros that are either too long or boring.

I’d like to give you two rules to start off with:

1) Put your best song and production first.

2) Keep your intros short or if not, make sure they are absolutely amazing.

First of all, please please put your best song and production first in your EPK.

This may seem like a “no-brainer” to many of you, and I too would have thought so, but

in phone conversations with artists, I have often been asked to “listen to song # 3”, being promised that “song #3 is our hit”. If it is the hit, why is it all the way back to the 3rd position in the list?, (or even later sometimes).

At most, and agent or A&R rep will only have time to listen to the first three songs, IF they like the 1st. And if song #1 doesn’t catch his/her attention, each subsequent song heard will be met with more and more doubt about the group or artist.

What industry and A&R reps do when looking over an EPK is immediately listen to the FIRST SONG. Make it your BEST song. If you are not sure, poll your friends and family asking for honest criticism.

A&R reps are in a tremendous hurry. The first song will make or break you, even the first few seconds or notes are important.

This brings me to another mistake I have noticed. The first song might be a great song, but if it’s intro is too long, mixed badly, or not as good as the song, you are hurting your chances. Keep your intro either 1) Short..or 2) Absolutely amazing!!!

It literally can be a 5 sec make or break ball game for your music so, make every second count.

Lead with your best song. Make sure the intro isn’t too long and is interesting.

Mike McCready is an entrepreneur at the crossroads of music and technology. He pioneered the introduction of Hit Song Science into the music industry and followed up with Music Xray, the company he co-founded and serves as CEO. His companies have been the subject of case studies at Harvard Business School, IESE and he frequently guest speaks at many of the top business schools around the world. He helps the music industry identify high potential songs and talent and helps musicians get deals, get fans, & get better: http://musicxray.com